Brew Review: Samuel Adams' LongShot Lemon Pepper Saison

On the list of things that can't be ignored, a box full of beer is fairly high. So you'll understand my position when I tell you that this is the precise situation I currently find myself in. Sitting in and about my office are no fewer than twenty bottles of various Samuel Adams flavors. I'm definitely going to drink them, so I suppose the least I can do is review them as well.

The sad truth is I've never met a Sam Adams I enjoyed. That's not to say they're bad beers, they're not. They just tend to be nothing special. Will S.A. convert me to a follower? It's unlikely, but I'm still going to review one of their beers every day this month to find out.

Today's Beer: LongShot Lemon Pepper Saison

Tastes: Mostly harmless. I'm beginning to detect a pattern to these Samuel Adams brews. Yesterday I accused the Latitude 48 of being marginalized to appeal to largest spectrum of beer consumer possible. This Lemon Pepper Saison (a winner of Samuel Adams Longshot contest in which homebrewers submit a beer and Sam Adams picks it up for distribution) should have been a stand-out, interesting flavor. I mean it says "pepper" on the label! How could something that should have been so unique be so run of the mill? Hell, even Beer Advocate gave it an average rating of "B."

I'd Rather Drink: A good, average saison. At least it wouldn't be pretending to be more than it is.